Message from Ursula Jones, Communities and Nature Project Officer, Gower National Landscape, Swansea Council…
The contractor undertaking the MTB trail refurbishment work (OnTrack) have advised that they are aiming to start work on either the 10th or 17th February. The work will take approximately 3 – 4 weeks to complete. There will be temporary MTB trail closures in places with signage to keep the workers and site users safe.
Local Councillors, Clyne Riders and Clyne Farm will also be advised. There will be a post on the Gower National Landscape Facebook and Instagram pages in due course.
Here is a summary of the work to be undertaken:
It’s been several years since the mountain bike trails known as Clyne Climb, Miller’s and Sanitised Strip in Clyne Valley Country Park were built. Since then only ad-hoc maintenance works have been carried out on these trails by volunteers from Clyne Riders and others. These trails are now in a state of disrepair and the works required to bring them back into a good rideable condition are beyond the capacity of the volunteers. On Track have been contracted to undertake the works to bring the trails back into good rideable condition, as well as other works to clearly demark and segregate routes (renewed signage, way-marking and fences).
The works will not be creating new trails and maintaining only the three official routes known as Clyne Climb, Miller’s and Sanitised Strip. The trail maintenance works will include digging of the surface (trail tread) and reconstituting the trail features using the re-dug material, culverts will be repaired/replaced where needed, and drainage channels will be reinstated and new ones created where needed – this will comprise a small J-shaped channel leading away from the trail where water can be held before dispersing naturally. The works will be undertaken using small machinery that will fit along the trails and handheld tools. No borrow-pitting will be undertaken. New post and fencing material will comprise composite material rather than wood, to provide longevity.
A small area of Mill Lane car park will be used to temporarily store materials. The access track that leads to Keeper’s Cottage and the Old Railway Path will be used by the contractors to move materials and machinery/equipment to and from the trails in these areas; there will not be any need to close these routes and any movements would be kept to a minimum to avoid conflict with visitors using them. Signage will be placed at key points around the Country Park advising visitors of the upcoming works. Visitors should pay attention to any signage and instructions from the contractors working on site. The works will not require the closure or diversion of any Rights of Way. There will be temporary MTB trail closures during work to protect workers and site users. There will be temporary MTB trail closures for a period of time after work to allow the trails to bed-in; during this time it is critical that the trails are not ridden. Riding the trails while they are closed for bedding-in will damage them and require additional works and longer closures so they can be repaired. The work may cause some disruption to visitors to the area, but this will be short-term and in the long-term will improve the experience for those using the mountain bike trails and adjacent Rights of Way by having better segregation.
If you have any questions please let me know – [email protected]